Russia blacklists 49 Britons, including journalists

MOSCOW (AFP): Russia on Tuesday said it was blacklisting 49 UK citizens, including defence officials and prominent journalists and editors from the BBC, The Financial Times and The Guardian.

London has been one of the most vocal supporters of Kyiv after President Vladimir Putin sent troops to Ukraine on February 24.

“The British journalists on the list are involved in the deliberate dissemination of false and one-sided information about Russia and the events in Ukraine and Donbass,” the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.

Among the 29 journalists who have been banned entry to Russia are Shaun Walker of The Guardian, Gideon Rachman of The Financial Times and political analyst Mark Galeotti.

The list also includes John Witherow, editor of The Times; Chris Evans, editor of The Daily Telegraph; BBC Director-General Tim Davie; Katharine Viner, editor of The Guardian; and Edward Verity, editor of The Daily Mail.

The media names also include Nick Robinson, a BBC Radio 4 anchor, and Sophy Ridge, who fronts Sky News’s weekly politics show.

The list also contains the names of 20 top officials and figures linked to the defence industry, including Michael Wigston, the head of the Royal Air Force (RAF) and MP Leo Docherty.

“People linked to the British defence complex are involved in making decisions on the supply of weapons to Ukraine,” the Russian foreign ministry said.

London has so far offered more than £750 million ($937 million) in military support to Ukraine, including sending air defence systems, thousands of anti-tank missiles and various types of munitions, hundreds of armoured vehicles and other equipment.